The pilot of the deadly plane crash in North Carolina that killed former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family has not been identified more than 24 hours later, officials with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Friday.
NTSB board member Michael Graham spoke to the media about the preliminary findings of its investigation into Thursday's crash that killed all seven people aboard a flight headed to the Bahamas.
According to Graham, three people aboard the Cessna C550 were licensed pilots but officials were not able verify as of Friday who was piloting the flight.
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"This is the beginning of very long process and we will not jump to any conclusions while on scene here in North Carolina nor will we jump to any conclusions," Graham said of the entirety of the investigation
The plane was owned by GB Aviation Leasing LLC, according to federal aviation records. The company is owned by Biffle, who was rated to fly helicopters and single and multi-engine planes.
Biffle, 55, was killed alongside his wife, Cristina, and children Ryder, 5, and Emma, 14. Three other people killed onboard were identified as Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth.
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The seven-person flight was making its way to the Bahamas via Sarasota, Florida, when it crashed at Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles north of Charlotte. NTSB Investigator-In-Charge Dan Baker said the plane took off at approximately 10:05 a.m. ET and began to turn back to the airport five minutes after take off.
The plane crashed roughly 10 minutes after departure.
Officials did not provide a cause and noted that weather conditions were relatively calm despite light rain. Graham said a preliminary report would be released in 30 days and full investigation could take anywhere between 12-18 months before a final report is released.
According to officials, the plane's black box was recovered from the crash scene and is en route to Washington, D.C., where it will be analyzed.
"I can also confirm that our team was able to locate and recover the cockpit voice recorder. The CVR, one of the black boxes from the aircraft," Graham said, noting that the plane did not have a flight data recorder but was not required to have one either.
Greg Biffle, 55, won more than 50 races across NASCAR's three circuits, including 19 at the Cup Series level. He also won the Trucks Series championship in 2000 and the Xfinity Series title in 2002.
NASCAR called Biffle "a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor, and a friend to so many."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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